{{Short description|Mountain range in southwest New Mexico}} {{for|the Australian landmarks|Black Range Road Board|Black Range railway}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Black Range | other_name = Devil's Mountains | image = Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway - Scenic Black Range Drive - NARA - 7718603.jpg | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image_size = 400px | image_alt = | image_caption = View from the [[Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway]] | map = | image_map = NMMap-doton-BlackMtns.png | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of the Black Range within New Mexico | map_relief = | map_size = | location = New Mexico | label = | label_position = | elevation = | elevation_ft = 10,165 | elevation_ref = <ref name=gnis/> | prominence = | prominence_m = | prominence_ft = | prominence_ref = | isolation = | isolation_km = | isolation_mi = | isolation_ref = | parent_peak = | listing = | translation = | language = | pronunciation = | range = | coordinates = {{coord|33|03|07|N|107|51|01|W|region:US_type:mountain|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_ref = <ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|920566}}</ref> | topo = | type = Igneous mountain range | age = | volcanic_arc = | volcanic_belt = | volcanic_field = | volcanic_arc/belt = | last_eruption = | first_ascent = | easiest_route = | normal_route = | access = | child = | embedded = }} The '''Black Range''' (also called the '''Devil's Mountains''' or '''Sierra Diablo''') is an [[Igneous rock|igneous]] mountain range running north–south in [[Sierra County, New Mexico|Sierra]], [[Grant County, New Mexico|Grant]], and [[Catron County, New Mexico|Catron]] counties in southwest [[New Mexico]], in the [[Southwestern United States]].

==Description== The range's central ridge forms the western and eastern borders, respectively, of the two counties through much of their contact. The range is about 55 miles (88&nbsp;km) long from north to south and up to 18 miles (29&nbsp;km) wide. The highest point is [[McKnight Mountain]]. The Black Range lies almost entirely within the [[Gila National Forest]]. The [[Mimbres River]] originates from the mountain [[snowpack]]. The Mimbres Mountains, the southernmost part of the range, are usually included as part of the Black Range.<ref name="Ungnade">Ungnade, Herbert E. (1965) "Black Range" ''Guide to the New Mexico Mountains'' Sage Books, Denver, pp. 132–133</ref>

Access to the range is primarily via [[New Mexico State Road 152]] (NM 152), which crosses the Black Range on its way from [[Kingston, New Mexico|Kingston]] on the east towards [[San Lorenzo, Grant County, New Mexico|San Lorenzo]] on the west. NM 152 crosses the range at 8,228-foot (2,508 m) Emory Pass, where there is a hiking trail that covers the entire length of the mountains along the central ridge. There are also a number of campgrounds, some with hiking trails, along NM 152 as it goes down Iron Canyon on the west side of the range. With the exception of the areas along NM 152, most of the range is very difficult to traverse and almost entirely undeveloped. The [[Aldo Leopold Wilderness]], {{convert|202016|acre}} in size, lies along the crest of the Black Range north of NM 152.

==History== The southern portion of the Black Range, which are also known as the Mimbres Mountains, was occupied by the [[Mogollon culture|Mimbres people]] whose culture peaked about 1000 C.E. and ended about 1150 C.E.<ref name="Ungnade"/> Their most famous site is the [[Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument|Gila Cliff Dwellings]]. Silver was discovered in the Black Range in the late 1870s, first in 1876 at [[Lake Valley, Sierra County, New Mexico|Lake Valley]],<ref>Charles R. Keyes, ''Genesis of the Lake Valley, New Mexico, silver deposits'', American Institute of Mining Engineers Bulletin, Jan 1908, p.3.</ref> and then by [[Harry Pye (prospector)|Harry Pye]] in 1879 at [[Chloride, New Mexico|Chloride]].<ref name="Abarr">Abarr, James (14 June 1998) [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015859/http://www.abqjournal.com/venue/travel/tourism/heritage_ghosttowns.htm "Frontier mining towns cling to life in southwestern New Mexico"] ''Albuquerque Journal'' section I, p. 1</ref><ref name="Twitchell-271">Twitchell, Ralph Emerson (1911) ''The Leading Facts of New Mexican History'' Torch Press, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ukQOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA271 p. 271–272] [http://worldcat.org/oclc/3828708 OCLC 3828708]</ref> This led to a [[silver rush]],<ref name="Abarr" /> and silver and gold mines flourished in the Black Range through the end of the 19th century.<ref name="Twitchell-271" />

{{Further|Massacre Canyon (New Mexico)}}

==See also== {{portal|Mountains}} * [[List of mountain ranges of New Mexico]]

==References== {{reflist|22em}}

==External links== {{commons category-inline|Black Range (New Mexico)}}

{{Mountains of New Mexico}}

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[[Category:Great Divide of North America]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of New Mexico]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of Sierra County, New Mexico]] [[Category:Mountain ranges of Grant County, New Mexico]] [[Category:Landforms of Catron County, New Mexico]]